Sprint's Sanyo Katana LX; Sharp, Stylish, impressive. After my wife borrowed my cell phone and I watched it fall into our kitchen sink and realized that it was fated to 'swim...Read complete review

Sprint's Sanyo Katana LX; Sharp, Stylish, impressive. After my wife borrowed my cell phone and I watched it fall into our kitchen sink and realized that it was fated to 'swim with the dishes', I knew at that moment it was time to start thinking about a new phone. In the Sprint store we found a number of attractive phones, but the 'Katana' caught my eye because of its sleekness and space age look. My previous phone had been a 'dinosaur' in comparison. But I knew at first glance that the Katana, with its' 'Liquid Graphite' color made it a stand out phone. With its VGA camera, Blue tooth, GPS Sprint Navigation, and external display that lights up under a glistening glossy finish, was no less impressive either. The name itself, 'Katana' is so apropos for this Sprint phone. The name Katana is the Japanese word for 'Sword', specifically, the 'Samurai Sword' which was legendary for its sharpness and endurance. And with all its features and remarkable looks, that does indeed make the Katana, 'the sharpest way to stay in touch'...

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Cute, functional, slim, and not too shabby

I'll start off with the few things that I find detrimental to my enjoyment of the phone. Firstly, as you may have heard, its maximum volume is insufficient in certain settings. The...Read complete review

I'll start off with the few things that I find detrimental to my enjoyment of the phone. Firstly, as you may have heard, its maximum volume is insufficient in certain settings. The vibration isn't altogether noticeable either, so you may miss a lot of calls depending on where you hang out. Secondly, I was a bit unhappy upon, after upgrading from my ancient Nokia, that I wouldn't be able to download my own hosted MIDI files using the phone's internet capabilitiies. This was a feature I exploited on my older phone to avoid having to pay exorbitant rates for silly soundbytes. Sprint hosts their own "online albums," however, where you are able to upload pictures (only JPEG) to and from your phone, so if you don't want to pay for backgrounds (like me) you'll be able to pull that off. The last sucky part of the Katana is the utter lack of support for video. None at all.

In terms of the good, the Katana is a very attractive phone, borrowing style tips from the RAZR and making them its own. It's thin, sleek, and can slide into your "skinny jeans" pocket if so desired. The buttons are imbedded in the pad--no big deal if you're used to newer phones--which adds to the "sleek" factor. The camera is decent, though the lack of flash can get on my nerves. There are many free applications available for download if you have Sprint's data plan, the ones I ues most frequently are Google Maps, Opera Minibrowser, and Sprint's IM/Email program. These run with tolerable speed--closer to dial-up than broadband. The battery life is--to me--slightly short, but this is because my previous phone was super-efficient. The screen is super-bright, so it's easy to understand where the power goes.

There are a few features built into the phone: a standard calendar, alarm clock, countdown feature, stop watch, calculator, and time-zone program. I've never had any problems with any of these, and in fact use the phone's alarm clock to wake me every day.

This phone is a great choice for those who don't *exactly* want the RAZR or its cronies, but who love the design, the price, and are willing to spare a few extra capabilities.

I purchased this device years ago and it still works great. Similar to another popular phone of its day this phone definitely outshines the competition. It has a camera and offers multi-media messaging. For a phone of its age, it also has a large amount of storage.

DurabilityThis phone is built to last. I have had this phone for seven years now, and it still works! Although I have upgraded my phone many times over the years, I can always revert back to my Katana if I have any issues with my current device.

Ease of UseThis phone is very easy to use. It offers easy access to the camera, as well as word prediction for text.

I am definitely ready for a new phone but no complaints with this one as it is easy to use, text, and access the internet. Although accessing the internet is slow to navigate. For cell phone users that are not into the touches, apps, etc. this phone would work.

Great phone for a great price! I have two of the Katanas , both which simply work. I would buy another one if mine broke today. The signal strength is amazing. The battery life is longer than stated. The picture quality is not the best, however, it works just fine for a phone. The phone can be dropped and slammed but it never fails to work.

I have the Sanyo 8200. Even though this model has been discontinued by Sprint, I feel that it is the best phone out there. It has the basics for what a cell phone was meant for....talking. It has a camera that takes decent pictures, but no need for it in general. You can still get a good one from Ebay and they are very durable.

This sleek phone fits in my purse, cup holder in the car, or even my pocket! Reasonably priced and packed full of all the features I need in a cell phone, I wouldn't want any other phone for the cost. Web access, email, music, games, and many other options make this a great phone for every day use.

Great phone...especially since it's often the "freebie" when you renew your service plan!!! I've dropped it on concrete, into a puddle, into snow -- and it just keeps working! Very tough little phone. Decent picture quality and easy to navigate. Sound quality during call is quite good. Very little echo like I've had w/ other cells. And, I love that it's PINK!!!

This is a good phone. It is compact and slim. The volume is either to high or too low. Also, the buttons are not raised so it makes it hard to dial the phone. Headphones will need an adaptor to fit on the phone. Otherwise the phone is a great buy. Sprint offered it for free with an upgrade for me.

The Katana phone from Sprint is the best phone I have had yet. It's small, sleek, has a large color display. I like the simple menu and speed dial option. The battery talk time is more than adequate. I got this phone free in a promotion, but would have gladly paid full price. Oh, did I mention, it's pink!

I purchased this phone for my daughter. The color is great. She really likes the phone, but is now having difficulty with the volume of her ringers. Since I didn't purchase a service contract on the phone, I figured she can still use it. Nice phone. The color is great for girls. We're on a family plan which works nicely.